Speakers bring message of hope

November 4, 2013

“You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story,” is the message from a national speaker coming to Emporia State University on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

In 2006, Jamie Tworkowski founded To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), a non-profit group dedicated to helping those who suffer from depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicidal tendencies find hope, support, and love. TWLOHA began as a simple attempt to tell the story of a friend in need of treatment, and soon became an Internet phenomenon and global movement.

Actress Julia Jones, best known for her role as Leah Clearwater in “The Twilight Saga” movies, will also appear at the free event, at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Albert Taylor Hall in Plumb Hall on the Emporia State campus. The event is sponsored by Emporia State’s student-led Union Activities Council.

Since its founding, TWLOHA has grown and now has the largest online audience of any non-profit on MySpace and Facebook and has donated more than $1 million to treatment and recovery organizations. The movie “Renee,” based on Renee Yohe's inspirational story, will be released this year.

TWLOHA became inspirational speaker Jamie Tworkowski's life’s work after learning the sobering statistics that two out of three people with depression do not get help, and that the third-leading cause of death among 18-24 year olds is suicide.

Emporia State University is a dynamic and progressive student-centered learning community that fosters student success through engagement in academic excellence, community and global involvement, and the pursuit of personal and professional fulfillment.